Will it be a good snow season this year?

Will it be a good winter or good snow season this year is a question continually asked of ski resorts such as Falls Creek Alpine Resort and as a record-breaking ski season is drawing to a close in North America this is the time of the year when the alpine resorts in the Southern Hemisphere switch from summer sports to winter pursuits.

All the weather-related indicators suggest there will be more snow this winter with a forecast for the drought to breakas the prolonged El Nino phase is over (replaced by a La Nina cycle that is more conducive to ‘normal’ snowfalls) and the chance of an early season cold outbreak is better than normal.

Whilst the forecast is good, the largest alpine resort in Victoria isn’t resting on its laurels.

Falls Creek Ski lifts is continually enhancing what Mother Nature delivers, with lst winter the alpine resort’s snowmakers (now referred to as snow producers), and its groomer operators, doing a magnificent job ensuring the guests had an acceptable array of snow-covered slopes for an entire season.

Whilst Falls Creek has the most amount of snowfall in Victoria, and has the largest snowmaking system in Victoria, it is embarking on an extensive program of upgrading and increasing its snowmaking capability to enhance its reputation, particularly amongst less experienced skiers and boarders.

Additional snowmaking capacity is currently being installed down Wombats Ramble, the longest beginner-friendly ski trail in Australia, to provide an even greater amount of snow-covered terrain.

In tandem with the installation of high-tech, energy efficient, automated snow guns, extra snow fences have been installed. Snow Fencing is an innovative method of retaining the natural and man-made snow cover.

A series of high fences have been strategically placed alongside the upper portion of Wombats Ramble to lessen the impact of the sun’s rays on the very popular north-facing slope. Snow fences cause snow to drift creating a snow farm for the groomers to push out onto the trails. A shadow created by the series of fences will also help retain the snow cover for a longer period of the winter.

When the prevailing winds bring significant natural snowfalls during the winter season the fences will assist the resort’s quest to retain what Mother Nature provides.

Another plus for less experienced skiers and boarders is the snow fences will provide a well-defined ski trail on snowy days.

Additional snowmaking has also been installed on another very popular beginners area at Falls Creek. Automated snow guns will be in action the moment the temperatures are favourable for snowmaking on the Mouse Trap beginner area, a paramount slope for the alpine resort’s family-friendly Snowsports School and less experienced skiers and boarders.

The south-facing slopes at Falls Creek are usually the first to be covered by a combination of natural snow and what the snowmakers produce and having the largest (and highest) lake as a resource for snowmaking is also a bonus.

The environmentally-friendly hydro power system built to harness Mother Nature’s snow & rainfall in the high country resulted in a win win for Falls Creek, with the man-made Rocky Valley Lake a huge body of water about a hundred metres from the resort’s snowmaking ‘head office’.

Mother Nature has been very kind to this picturesque alpine community, located high enough to capture the regular cold fronts in the winter season and an abundant amount of south-facing bowls, so once a good base has been established it can be retained for a major part of the winter season.

Falls Creek’s reliable snowfalls and snowmaking allow the resort to offer a Snowsports Guarantee at participating properties.

Phone Falls Creek Reservations on 1800 45 35 25 for details.

Report by The Mole